80sNostalgia

The Greatest Cartoons Of Yesteryear

As memories from our childhood are never far away, it’s always nice to see a reimagined version of a popular programme from back in the day. As classic shows from the 1980s and 90s are still regarded as some of the best, there’s really no surprise that these childhood favourites are making a comeback here, there and everywhere in order to benefit a whole new generation.

LoveFilm have reported a surge in downloads of shows like He-Man: Masters of the Universe, The Real Ghostbusters and X-Men from its online streaming service.

As well as being popular programmes, characters from these series also make exceptionally popular characters for fancy dress parties.

If you do happen to be invited to a fancy dress party any time soon then these costumes from some of the best known TV shows of the 80s are sure to go down a storm because Party Britain have definitely seen an influx of these characters return over recent years.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983 – 1988)
The show revolves around the main character, Prince Adam, who – when he holds the Sword of Power and recites the magic words “By the Power of Grayskull, I HAVE THE POWER” – can transform into the most powerful man in the universe, He-Man. As He-Man, and accompanied by close allies, he would defend the fictional planet of Eternia from evil villain Skeletor.

There are plenty of colourful characters from this hit series but if you fancy taking the safety of the world into your own hands for an evening then why not opt for the costume of He-Man himself. Alternatively you could become the Princess of Power, She-Ra, instead.

The Real Ghostbusters (1986 – 1991)
There have been plenty of series surrounding the spirit-fighting foursome. This one followed their adventures in and around New York as they chased and attempted to capture spirits wreaking havoc around the city.
There are two main options if you decide to go with this theme. You can either dress as one of the heroes in a Ghostbuster costume or you could transform into one of their most famous villains like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

X-Men (1992 – 1997)
Although we’re edging into the 90s with this one, X-Men was a programme that just can’t be left out when it comes to a great cartoon which gives rise to brilliant costumes. Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Grey and Professor X were brought from the pages of Marvel comics to our screens as they aimed to beat the evil Magneto in a number of exciting battles.

Scooby-Doo (1969 – present)
The Scooby-Doo series and films have been on and off our screens since the 60s and revolve around the team that form Mystery Inc. – Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne. The team often find themselves face to face with all kinds of supernatural creatures and have to gather clues in order to eventually unveil the villain.
There’s plenty of scope for costumes on this one too, as you can be any one of the gang.

The Flintstones (1960 – 1996)
The Flintstones are another family of characters who have never really left our screens. Although the final spin-off series ended in 1996, there were TV movie productions and live-action films that were produced into the 00s.

The original show was set in the Stone Age town of Bedrock and the main characters, Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty and, in later series, their children Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, all live harmoniously alongside dinosaurs, woolly mammoths and other extinct creatures.

The episodes generally centred around main character Fred Flintstone whose ambitious plans often backfired with a humorous end. In later series he passes this quality onto his daughter, Pebbles, who certainly follows in his footsteps when it comes to creating mayhem.
Again there are plenty of fancy dress options courtesy of The Flintstones for both adults and children.

Popeye
Another character who became famous thanks to a great comic strip, Thimble Theatre, that was originally produced in 1919. Popeye wasn’t introduced until ten years later – in 1929 – but quickly became the most popular character. In fact, he became so popular that the strip was renamed Popeye and he has been featured in several TV series and TV films over the years. He remains popular today, with the latest DVD release being 2008.

There are plenty of characters who have featured in the comic strip and TV series. However, the most popular are definitely Popeye himself and his love interest Olive Oyl.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 – 1996)
Although there were spin-off seasons after this first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this is definitely the one that everyone remembers. The four turtles, named after Renaissance artists Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, live in the sewers of New York City where they are trained in the discipline of ninjutsu and spend their time battling criminals, alien invaders and evil overlords.

The Simpsons (1989 – present)
The Simpsons aren’t making a comeback, they don’t need to because they never left, but they can’t be left off the list as TV Guide voted them ‘the greatest TV cartoon of all time’. The Simpsons is officially the longest running American sitcom to date and there have been 25 seasons and 540 episodes since it began. The series is a mocking of the middle class American lifestyle and follows the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie in their home in the fictional town of Springfield.

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